Ambar - Composition and Uses

Ambar - Composition and Uses

Ambar is known by many other names all over the world because of its popularity and medicinal values in alternative medicines system. It is known as:

English: Ambergris, Arabic: Ashab/ Ambar, Chinese: Lung yen hsiang, French: Ambre, German: die Ambra, Hindi: Amber, Persian: Shah Boo, Urdu: Ambar, Latin: ambra grasea

Ambar is a morbid excretion of the sperm whale and found floating upon the ocean or collected from the shores. Ambar is formed in the intestines of the sperm whale in response, it is thought, to the irritation caused to the stomach lining of the whale from the sharp, indigestible, parrot-like beaks of squid.

Composition: It contains ambrein (a cholesterin) 85%, a little of balsamic extract and ash.

World of Caution: Ambar is not Baltic amber(succinate),which is a fossilized resin secreted by the now extinct pine tree formed in the Eocene period about 50 million years ago and mostly used in ornaments and for jewellery purpose. Both are only related by the fact that both wash up on the beaches by mother nature.

Medicinal properties: Ambar is a stimulant, antiseptic and antispasmodic. it is very useful in sexual debility, general weakness, epilepsy, spasms and nervousness. Also useful in paralysis, facial paralysis, neuritis, weakness of brain, nerves and heart and palpitation.

It is extensively used in unani system of alternative medicines, and is a integral part of many classical unani formulations viz; khamira abresham hakim arshadwala, Dawaul misk motadil jawaharwali, Mommyae ambar etc, to name a few commonly used medicines in unani system of alternative medicines.